NERD Game Scores: Noah Syndergaard Debut Event
Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.
Most Highly Rated Game
New York NL at Chicago NL | 20:05 ET
Syndergaard (N/A) vs. Arrieta (37.0 IP, 74 xFIP-)
This contest represents the major-league debut of Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard, a young and giant Dutch-American who was ranked first overall among Mets prospects this past offseason by Kiley McDaniel and 19th overall among every prospect by that same Kiley McDaniel. The 22-year-old Syndergaard features a promising combination of physical tools and performance. Here, for example, is his average fastball velocity (according to PITCHf/x) over the course of two appearances in the annual Futures Game: 96.54 mph. And here, also, are his strikeout and walk rates over 29.2 innings this season at Triple-A Las Vegas: 30.1% and 7.1%, respectively. Syndergaard receives the promotion as a result of an injury to Dillon Gee, although there are likely multiple possible scenarios in which he never returns to the minors.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Chicago NL or New York NL Television.
Two Brief Notes
Franco Promotion Imminent
The Phillies are likely to recall prospect Maikel Franco at some point on or after Friday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Franco was ranked second among Phillies prospects this past offseason by Kiley McDaniel, and 38th among all prospects everywhere. Both his projections and his batting record so far at Triple-A this season (where he’s recorded walk and strikeout rates of 3.8% and 18.3%, respectively, over 131 plate appearances) suggest that might have some difficulty controlling the strike zone at the major-league level. In the long term, however — especially in light of his youth (he’s only 22) — there’s considerable cause for optimism.
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features San Francisco at Houston, starts at 8:10pm ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.
Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete and very sortable table for all of today’s games. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and also the rest of the internet. Note that the calculations both for team and game NERD scores have changed recently to better integrate playoff odds into same. Read more about those changes here, if you’re the sort of person accustomed to making poor life decisions.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lance Lynn | STL | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 10 | CLE | Carlos Carrasco | 18:10 |
| A.J. Burnett | PIT | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | PHI | Sean O’Sullivan | 19:05 |
| Mark Buehrle | TOR | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 | BAL | Chris Tillman | 19:05 |
| Kyle Gibson | MIN | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | DET | Alfredo Simon | 19:08 |
| M. Foltynewicz | ATL | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | CIN | Anth. DeSclafani | 19:10 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | NYA | 8 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 10 | TB | Chris Archer | 19:10 |
| Edinson Volquez | KC | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | TEX | Nick Martinez | 20:05 |
| No. Syndergaard* | NYN | 11 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 9 | CHN | Jake Arrieta | 20:05 |
| Chris Sale | CHA | 10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 7 | MIL | Mike Fiers | 20:10 |
| Chris Heston | SF | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | HOU | Collin McHugh | 20:10 |
| St. Strasburg | WAS | 9 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 10 | AZ | Rubby de la Rosa | 21:40 |
| Justin Masterson | BOS | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | OAK | Drew Pomeranz | 22:05 |
| Kyle Kendrick | COL | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | LAA | C.J. Wilson | 22:05 |
| Dan Haren | MIA | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 8 | LAN | Mike Bolsinger* | 22:10 |
| Ian Kennedy | SD | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | SEA | James Paxton | 22:10 |
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Hmm. Who’s this St. Strasburg guy. Forgive me, I’m not Catholic.
Lol.
He’s the patron saint of getting shelled while hiding an injury.
I love how you put syndergaard at an 11 The only other debut this season that can even come close to this is if buxton hits .380/.490/.585 in AA till the middle of June and is called up. Basically thats how sydergaard has pitched in las vagas in a park that makes coors field look like petco.
Isn’t that basically what Carlos Correa is doing, hitting .385/.459/.726 in AA with an imminent call up? I’d give his debut game an 11, too; it doesn’t have to be Buxton.
Yeah, Las Vegas has the elevation factor plus an infield which gets dusty dry in the summer heat. The BABIPs there last year were unreal, but are a little down so far in 2015, probably because we haven’t hit the desert summer yet.
Syndergaard has definitely made the best of it there however. Besides his great pitching stats, at the plate his slash line is .455/.455/.909 (helped by a HR and two doubles).
I shall be attending KC @ TEX*. Please join me in fervently hoping for the Royals to start another wild brawl.
*on assignment for the Dallas Observer, as a food/beer correspondent, answering the age-old question: is there anything in the really cheap seats that isn’t shitty?
Should have picked a game with Ventura starting. Better odds. Good luck anyway.
A real* reporter would, somehow, surreptitiously start the brawl, giving him/herself something juicy about which to write.
*Unethical, real…you say tomato, etc etc.
where he’s recorded walk and strikeout rates of 3.8% and 18.3%
should be right at home on the Phillies. also is that very handsome or devastatingly handsome?